The World Federation of Trade Unions, representing 105 million workers in 135 countries, expresses its solidarity with the workers of France who will go on an indefinite strike, on Tuesday, March 7, against the pension, a reform project that President Macron wants to impose.

Indeed, after 5 days of strikes and demonstrations throughout the country since January 19, the class-oriented trade unionists of France have decided to launch a new strike in the strategic sectors of the country to make the government bend.

Calls for a renewable strike and economic blockage have been launched among railway workers, at the RATP, in refineries, in energy, in Agroalimentary factories, in trade, in chemicals, in ports and docks, among garbage collectors and sewer workers, highly organized sectors where the WFTU has many affiliates in France.

The challenge is to lead all the workers and the popular masses to get out of the losing strategy of “trade union lobbying” and “social dialogue” to go and demand, through strikes and struggle, the satisfaction of goals against a government that brutally defends the exclusive interests of the big capitalist companies.

Far from the hypocritical support of the ETUC and the ITUC for the “demonstrations”, the WFTU will strongly commit itself to the unfailing and concrete support of the strikers in France, as it did in 2019.

We call on all WFTU affiliates to concretely express their support for the workers of France in the struggle.

Comrades and workers of France: as in 2019 when you brought down President Macron’s points-based retirement plan, we have confidence in your militant spirit and your ability to win!

#France #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #WFTU

On Monday morning 6th of February, a massive earthquake reaching 7.8 degrees on the Richter scale struck the region of southern Turkey – north Syria, followed by tens of aftershocks and a second major earthquake reaching 7.5 degrees.

At the time the shocked humanity is still counting the victims in both Turkey and Syria, as the death toll reached 15 thousand, tens of thousands are injured, and hundreds of thousands are homeless seeking shelter in severe weather conditions. WFTU can’t stay silent about the fact that imperialist forces have imposed sanctions on Syria.

The sanctions on Syria have been affecting the Syrian people for years now, resulting in a lack of fuel, electricity, medical supplies, and industrial machines that are essential to every country and nation for their daily life. The Syrian people had already suffered enough from the war, and they deserve a chance to live freely and with dignity.

Today in light of this catastrophe, these sanctions must be lifted immediately, as they are affecting the search and rescue operation after the disastrous earthquake. The sanctions against Syria are prohibiting heavy machinery and medical supplies even food supplies from entering Syria and now, more than ever, they are necessary for the survival of tens of thousands, and for rescue operations of people that are still stuck under the debris of their own homes.

The WFTU demands the immediate withdrawal of the imperialist sanctions against Syria, to put an end to the barbaric and inhumane policies of blockades and embargos. These policies are killing people that are stuck under the debris, killing the injured with a lack of medical supplies, leaving tens of thousands in streets to face harsh weather conditions, and leaving hundreds of thousands without any usable infrastructure.

We stand beside the General Federation of Trade Unions of Syria and the International Confederation of Arab Trade Unions and we support their struggle for the release of affected people. We once again call the Trade Unions and the workers all over the globe to express their practical solidarity and practical support through the launched campaigns to make less painful this huge disaster.

The Secretariat

#Syria #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #WFTU

The World Federation of Trade Unions, which represents 105 million affiliates in more than 130 countries around the world, expresses its solidarity with the workers of France who are called for a general strike and demonstrations throughout the country on Thursday January 19, 2023 against the Macron government’s plan to raise the legal retirement age to 64.

The WFTU recalls that the French Social Security, which is an achievement resulting from the workers’ resistance against the Nazi occupation and which was set up by Ambroise Croizat, the CGT leader and communist Minister of Labor at the Liberation, is far from being in bankruptcy.

It is put in financial difficulty by the exemptions from huge social security contributions that the Macron government grants to the big capitalist monopolies.

The WFTU trusts in the great combativeness of the workers of France and their class struggle unions, which are many of its affiliates, to defeat this government attack as they did during the historic general strike from December 2019 to March 2020, when the Macron government had to withdraw its unjust reform.

As usual, the WFTU and its affiliates from the 5 continents will support the struggle of the workers of France until victory!

#France #AntiwarMovement #generalStrike #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #WFTU

Rome, Italy – The 18th Congress of the World Federation of Trade Unions is being held in Rome, Italy May 6 – 8. Nearly 500 delegates came from 96 countries, with many more participating online. The WFTU represents 110 million workers in 133 countries, mostly in the global south. For the first time in over 50 years, there were delegates from the United States, with representatives from AFSCME 3800, the University Minnesota clerical workers union, and Roofers Local 36 from Los Angeles. Both unions have affiliated to the WFTU in recent years. Also participating from the U.S. was a leader of the newly-formed Starbucks Workers Union, who attended as an observer.

The first day featured speeches from General Secretary George Mavrikos (Greece) and President Mike Makwayiba (South Africa) who both called for the unity of the working class under a banner of militant class struggle oriented unionism. Also speaking were union leaders from Brazil, Nepal, France, Cuba, India, Venezuela, Trinidad, Guatemala, Palestine, Laos, Peru, Nigeria, Colombia and Germany. All talked about the failures of capitalism to address the pandemic, the need to build democratic, fighting unions, international solidarity, and to stand strongly against imperialist war and aggression.

#RomeItaly #Rome #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #WFTU

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU).

Dear colleagues,

Another year is coming to an end. Another year is added to the history of the WFTU and the world class-oriented movement. Another year made us cry and laugh, without losing not even for a moment our optimism for the best days to come for our class, thanks to our struggle and our firm political perception.

Making a brief assessment, as is usual at the end of each year, we will see that some things are repeated monotonously, but also new things are born, filling us with optimism for the future of the working class and popular strata.

In 2021, the inadequacy of this system to provide a solution to vital issues of humanity was revealed even more strongly. It was revealed that no matter how tearful the speeches of the political servants of the great multinationals are, they are not at all interested in the life and prosperity of the poor, the workers and the peasants, the women and the youth.

Since health and science serve the profitability of big capital, they can not deal with the pandemic properly and hundreds of thousands of people are still losing their lives due to COVID-19, due to the inadequacy of downgraded health systems, and not because the disease is invincible. In addition, to cover their own responsibilities, they skillfully try to divide workers, between vaccinated and non-vaccinated. But they have no answer for the millions of people in poor countries of the third world, that do not have access to vaccines due to financial weakness!

In 2021, we experienced once again the drama of refugees being used as a lever to pressure foreign policy of the states. They care very little about people drowning in the sea, or dying from landmines trying to cross borders and from hardship and diseases in hot spots. Their wars for the control of the wealth and the quest for new fields of profit are an unstoppable machine of misery.

In 2021 we faced the explosion of high prices in energy and in all basic goods, because as always the price of the economic crisis is paid by the peoples so that the big capitalists do not pay.

Repeated lockdowns have caused great losses in the world trusts and now they have to make up for the lost profits. Therefore, in the 21st century, even in the so-called countries of the first world, people are in danger of dying from the cold and from starvation!!!

In this framework, and despite the difficulty of distance meetings, the WFTU and the world class-oriented workers’ movement took action. Many seminars were held on issues that concerned and still concern workers around the world and mobilizations were organized on the occasion of every small or important issue of the working class in each country. The WFTU World Action Day on October 3 highlighted the timely demand of workers for a dignified life. International Campaigns for Palestine and international solidarity symposiums with Cuba and Venezuela were organized.

In 2021 significant strikes that resulted in the conquest of workers’ demands also took place. The repression and legislation that in many countries tried to put obstacles in trade union action did not discourage the workers, but instead increased their determination and militancy.

Finally, in 2021 with great sorrow we bid farewell to some historic cadres of the WFTU, whose contribution is invaluable. They were tireless fighters of the movement, always loyal to the WFTU and unwavering defenders of the class-oriented struggle. The World Federation of Trade Unions will always honor them and make sure that the next generations of workers in the world get to know their work and contribution.

So we enter 2022 with optimism and militancy, as befits the class-oriented movement. The coming year, apart from the strong challenges that it will bring for our organization, will also be a historic year, since the 18th World Trade Union Congress will take place. As always, this is a milestone in the global class-oriented workers movement, a celebration of the world working class, as well as an extremely important process in which the course of the WFTU is mapped out for the coming years. It is therefore very important in the new year for all WFTU members and friends to give their best so that this Congress is a success, worthy of the history and legacy of the WFTU.

The Secretariat of the World Federation of Trade Unions wishes its 105 million members and millions of friends from 133 countries around the world 2022 to be a good and militant year, a year that will contribute even more to our final goal of freeing humanity from exploitation of man by man. Because only then can we talk about real freedom, peace and prosperity.

Until the final victory!!!

#AthensGreece #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #WFTU

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU).

Dear colleagues,

Another year is coming to an end. Another year is added to the history of the WFTU and the world class-oriented movement. Another year made us cry and laugh, without losing not even for a moment our optimism for the best days to come for our class, thanks to our struggle and our firm political perception.

Making a brief assessment, as is usual at the end of each year, we will see that some things are repeated monotonously, but also new things are born, filling us with optimism for the future of the working class and popular strata.

In 2021, the inadequacy of this system to provide a solution to vital issues of humanity was revealed even more strongly. It was revealed that no matter how tearful the speeches of the political servants of the great multinationals are, they are not at all interested in the life and prosperity of the poor, the workers and the peasants, the women and the youth.

Since health and science serve the profitability of big capital, they can not deal with the pandemic properly and hundreds of thousands of people are still losing their lives due to COVID-19, due to the inadequacy of downgraded health systems, and not because the disease is invincible. In addition, to cover their own responsibilities, they skillfully try to divide workers, between vaccinated and non-vaccinated. But they have no answer for the millions of people in poor countries of the third world, that do not have access to vaccines due to financial weakness!

In 2021, we experienced once again the drama of refugees being used as a lever to pressure foreign policy of the states. They care very little about people drowning in the sea, or dying from landmines trying to cross borders and from hardship and diseases in hot spots. Their wars for the control of the wealth and the quest for new fields of profit are an unstoppable machine of misery.

In 2021 we faced the explosion of high prices in energy and in all basic goods, because as always the price of the economic crisis is paid by the peoples so that the big capitalists do not pay.

Repeated lockdowns have caused great losses in the world trusts and now they have to make up for the lost profits. Therefore, in the 21st century, even in the so-called countries of the first world, people are in danger of dying from the cold and from starvation!!!

In this framework, and despite the difficulty of distance meetings, the WFTU and the world class-oriented workers’ movement took action. Many seminars were held on issues that concerned and still concern workers around the world and mobilizations were organized on the occasion of every small or important issue of the working class in each country. The WFTU World Action Day on October 3 highlighted the timely demand of workers for a dignified life. International Campaigns for Palestine and international solidarity symposiums with Cuba and Venezuela were organized.

In 2021 significant strikes that resulted in the conquest of workers’ demands also took place. The repression and legislation that in many countries tried to put obstacles in trade union action did not discourage the workers, but instead increased their determination and militancy.

Finally, in 2021 with great sorrow we bid farewell to some historic cadres of the WFTU, whose contribution is invaluable. They were tireless fighters of the movement, always loyal to the WFTU and unwavering defenders of the class-oriented struggle. The World Federation of Trade Unions will always honor them and make sure that the next generations of workers in the world get to know their work and contribution.

So we enter 2022 with optimism and militancy, as befits the class-oriented movement. The coming year, apart from the strong challenges that it will bring for our organization, will also be a historic year, since the 18th World Trade Union Congress will take place. As always, this is a milestone in the global class-oriented workers movement, a celebration of the world working class, as well as an extremely important process in which the course of the WFTU is mapped out for the coming years. It is therefore very important in the new year for all WFTU members and friends to give their best so that this Congress is a success, worthy of the history and legacy of the WFTU.

The Secretariat of the World Federation of Trade Unions wishes its 105 million members and millions of friends from 133 countries around the world 2022 to be a good and militant year, a year that will contribute even more to our final goal of freeing humanity from exploitation of man by man. Because only then can we talk about real freedom, peace and prosperity.

Until the final victory!!!

#AthensGreece #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #WFTU

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU).

Dear colleagues,

Another year is coming to an end. Another year is added to the history of the WFTU and the world class-oriented movement. Another year made us cry and laugh, without losing not even for a moment our optimism for the best days to come for our class, thanks to our struggle and our firm political perception.

Making a brief assessment, as is usual at the end of each year, we will see that some things are repeated monotonously, but also new things are born, filling us with optimism for the future of the working class and popular strata.

In 2021, the inadequacy of this system to provide a solution to vital issues of humanity was revealed even more strongly. It was revealed that no matter how tearful the speeches of the political servants of the great multinationals are, they are not at all interested in the life and prosperity of the poor, the workers and the peasants, the women and the youth.

Since health and science serve the profitability of big capital, they can not deal with the pandemic properly and hundreds of thousands of people are still losing their lives due to COVID-19, due to the inadequacy of downgraded health systems, and not because the disease is invincible. In addition, to cover their own responsibilities, they skillfully try to divide workers, between vaccinated and non-vaccinated. But they have no answer for the millions of people in poor countries of the third world, that do not have access to vaccines due to financial weakness!

In 2021, we experienced once again the drama of refugees being used as a lever to pressure foreign policy of the states. They care very little about people drowning in the sea, or dying from landmines trying to cross borders and from hardship and diseases in hot spots. Their wars for the control of the wealth and the quest for new fields of profit are an unstoppable machine of misery.

In 2021 we faced the explosion of high prices in energy and in all basic goods, because as always the price of the economic crisis is paid by the peoples so that the big capitalists do not pay.

Repeated lockdowns have caused great losses in the world trusts and now they have to make up for the lost profits. Therefore, in the 21st century, even in the so-called countries of the first world, people are in danger of dying from the cold and from starvation!!!

In this framework, and despite the difficulty of distance meetings, the WFTU and the world class-oriented workers’ movement took action. Many seminars were held on issues that concerned and still concern workers around the world and mobilizations were organized on the occasion of every small or important issue of the working class in each country. The WFTU World Action Day on October 3 highlighted the timely demand of workers for a dignified life. International Campaigns for Palestine and international solidarity symposiums with Cuba and Venezuela were organized.

In 2021 significant strikes that resulted in the conquest of workers’ demands also took place. The repression and legislation that in many countries tried to put obstacles in trade union action did not discourage the workers, but instead increased their determination and militancy.

Finally, in 2021 with great sorrow we bid farewell to some historic cadres of the WFTU, whose contribution is invaluable. They were tireless fighters of the movement, always loyal to the WFTU and unwavering defenders of the class-oriented struggle. The World Federation of Trade Unions will always honor them and make sure that the next generations of workers in the world get to know their work and contribution.

So we enter 2022 with optimism and militancy, as befits the class-oriented movement. The coming year, apart from the strong challenges that it will bring for our organization, will also be a historic year, since the 18th World Trade Union Congress will take place. As always, this is a milestone in the global class-oriented workers movement, a celebration of the world working class, as well as an extremely important process in which the course of the WFTU is mapped out for the coming years. It is therefore very important in the new year for all WFTU members and friends to give their best so that this Congress is a success, worthy of the history and legacy of the WFTU.

The Secretariat of the World Federation of Trade Unions wishes its 105 million members and millions of friends from 133 countries around the world 2022 to be a good and militant year, a year that will contribute even more to our final goal of freeing humanity from exploitation of man by man. Because only then can we talk about real freedom, peace and prosperity.

Until the final victory!!!

#AthensGreece #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #WFTU

The World Federation of Trade Unions, which is the militant voice of 105 million workers in 133 countries on five continents, conveys its internationalist solidarity to the Cuban workers and People. We strongly condemn the recent provocations orchestrated by counterrevolutionary elements in Cuba, organized and financed from the United States for destabilizing purposes.

The world class-oriented trade union movement supports the Cuban People in their struggle against these actions. We demand the lifting of the criminal blockade that for 60 years has been creating serious problems for the economy and the lives of the Cuban people.

We support the right of the Cuban People to decide for themselves, freely and democratically, about their present and future, without the intervention of the imperialists. We salute the workers of Cuba, who during the Pandemic demonstrated the solidarity and internationalism of a system that does not treat health and the needs of the people as commodities and that opposes the exploitation of man by man.

We assure the heroic Central de Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC) that we are firmly on their side to repel this new anti-Cuban provocation. Together until the victory, always.

The Secretariat

#Cuba #Labor #Americas #PeoplesStruggles #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU

The World Federation of Trade Unions honors the 76th anniversary of the peoples’ anti-fascist victory on May 9, 2021.

9 May is the symbol of the great victory over Fascism and Nazism which in the times of the II World War seemed impossible to many. However, the enormous military power of the Germans and the Fascist Axis (Italy and Japan), despite the enormous support they received from the German and the International Monopolies, was defeated by the organized resistance of the peoples and the role played by the Soviet Union. This is the legacy of the World Federation of Trade Unions and the militants around the world.

This was a decisive strategic victory for the future of mankind. It changed the global correlation of forces in favor of workers and peoples and has boosted national liberation movements and decolonization and the struggle against colonialism. But first of all, it proved that only the organized people can really put an end to Fascism and the system that gives birth to it. Peoples united can achieve victories that seem impossible.

A child of this victory is the founding of the World Federation of Trade Unions on October 3, 1945.

However, 76 years after that date, US imperialism and its NATO allies are promoting conflicts that seriously threaten world peace and increase fascism and intolerance in various forms. The caravans of innocent refugees, the situation in Ukraine, the rivalries between the alliances but also within them only bring negative developments for the peoples.

Nowadays, a methodical effort is being made by the European Union and the USA to present May 9 as supposedly Day of Europe. To forget the great victory of the red army and the peoples against fascism. It is the duty of all of us to prevent the falsification of historical truth.

These servants of exploitation and imperialism who today try to rewrite historical facts with slander and lies, must fail.

In the face of these developments, the employees and workers raise our own flag, the flag of the WFTU, with our demands and needs written on it.

The WFTU salutes the anniversary of this epopee by reaffirming its commitment to the defense of world peace, the rights of peoples, especially the working class, to the socialist perspective.

Long live May 9, 1945, the day of the victory of the peoples against Nazism and fascism!

The Secretariat

#Greece #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #Antifascism #VictoryDay

The World Federation of Trade Unions expressing the voice of more than 105 million workers in 132 countries, stands in solidarity with the workers of Amazon in their four days strike demanding the recognition of collective bargaining agreements, health and safety measures and salary increase. The strikes are taking place in warehouses in Rheinberg, Werne, Koblenz, Leipzig and two sites in Bad Hersfeld.

The international class-oriented trade union movement supports the fair demands of the employees and workers of Amazon and calls upon them to intensify and extend their struggle for the satisfaction of their contemporary needs.

#Germany #PeoplesStruggles #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #WFTU #Amazon

The popular outrage that erupted a week ago in the United States after the cold-blooded murder of 47-year-old African-American worker George Floyd by police in Minneapolis is continuing against the state repression and the brutal force used by the police. Hundreds of thousands of Americans took the streets over the weekend in more than 80 major cities, in two-thirds of the country’s states, to protest state barbarism and racist violence, of the repressive forces.

Despite the outcry over the 47-year-old’s death, the government is escalating threats to the masses and offering “more military means if governors and mayors need it and cannot control the situation”. One more time the capitalists and their governments prove that the life of the ordinary people has no value for the capitalists.

The organizations of the working class must be now in the forefront of the struggle for social justice, equality, against state oppression. The WFTU calls every trade union, every trade unionist who respects itself to support the struggle of the people in USA. We demand the immediate end of police violence. The unemployed and the poor must be supported. The murderers of the Afro-Americans must be punished.

The WFTU calls its affiliated organizations in every corner of the world to participate in the WFTU Campaign by taking pictures in groups, submit solidarity statements to the U.S. embassies and take any support initiatives they can.

The WFTU Secretariat

#World #Labor #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #InternationalSolidarity #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #Antiracism #WFTU #MinneapolisUprising

THE WFTU STANDS SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH WORKERS AND THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD AGAINST THE ATTACKS AT THE EXPENSE OF WORKERS DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

The World Federation of Trade Unions, its 100 million members and friends of militant workers around the world, we express our internationalist solidarity and support to workers and the peoples of all countries affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.

What is once more reaffirmed is that in difficult times, such as during extreme natural phenomena, wars, disasters, pandemics, it is the workers and the poor people who are at the forefront of danger. The workers are required to pay the price of the pandemic’s effects on both their health and their working rights, so that large business groups, multinationals and big companies can ensure their profitability.

From the first days of the spread of the Coronavirus up to the present day, where many countries register thousands of cases and victims, violations of rights, redundancies, restrictions on trade union rights and freedoms by governments and employers have not stopped. They take advantage of the pandemic in order to generalize anti-labor measures and tactics.

Thousands of layoffs have taken place since the beginning of the month in sectors where the turnover has fallen due to the pandemic, as illustrated by Greece’s example, which measures 41.000 layoffs in the first half of March. In Austria, in March, 74.000 workers lost their jobs, in Sweden the automotive industry announced 20.000 suspensions. Still other businesses have been generalizing flexible working hours and forcing workers into compulsory leaves, as denounced by unions in Europe, France and Latin America, in countries such as Panama and Venezuela. Airlines like the colossal Turkish Airlines, Imperia, Lufthansa and Emirates have forced tens of thousands of workers to unpaid leaves, threatening them with layoffs, as did travel agencies, hotels and tourism companies in general.

Many businesses, as workers in Italy denounce, continue to operate normally without the necessary protection measures against the Coronavirus for workers who went on strike across the country last week. In Peru, mining companies also force workers to work without any security protocol. In Serbia, in Turkey, the trade unions in transport, in metal, in other sectors demand the implementation of health and safety measures in the workplaces.

In Portugal, a few days ago, the dockworkers of the port of Lisbon who went on strike because of the lack of basic protection measures, were called to work after the government announced a civil requisition.

On the other hand, in businesses where turnover is rising sharply due to the Coronavirus pandemic, such as in Supermarkets etc, they are forcing workers to intensify their work. These workers are suffering exhaustion and occupational “accidents” and diseases. These “accidents” are often not even recorded by the Labor Inspection, which has been closed under these circumstances, instead of being present and carrying out intensive inspections. Also employees are denied leaves and day-offs, there is no information about COVID-19 cases in their workplace, the employers hide such cases so that a large number of staff is not quarantined.

In countries such as Palestine, measures for workers whose workplaces were closed due to the Coronavirus are summed up in a miserable allowance while Israeli forces continue to violate rights and also murder Palestinian workers. In Jordan and elsewhere there is growing concern about the unsecured workers and those who work in the informal sector, who have been found with no income and are not entitled to allowances as it is the case for the long-term unemployed workers in many countries.

In India, trade unions condemn the government’s attitude of leaving the masses of workers helpless, without financial support, while showing tragic shortcomings in the necessary material to deal with the Coronavirus, such as medical ventilators.

In the USA, in New York alone, 21.000 unemployment applications, a record number, have been submitted in just one day.

In Africa, COVID-19 outbreaks are on the rise in more and more countries of the continent, with workers in South Africa, the second-most-affected country, calling for protection measures for the most vulnerable groups of the population, and those already suffering from other diseases such as AIDS and tuberculosis.

The policies of the vast majority of African governments, along with multinationals and monopolies, are responsible for the serious survival problems of workers and the popular strata, as well as for the tragic shortcomings in health systems and in securing access to clean drinking water and suitable housing for the populations.

The rights of workers who are at the frontline of the struggle against the Coronavirus, are also being violated. We are referring to doctors and other health-care staff, whose work is intensified to the fullest extent due to under-staffing and under-functioning of public health structures. Their risk of exposure to Coronavirus is high, they are required to work even if they themselves are ill, there are no protection measures for vulnerable groups among them. In countries such as Italy, where around 300 hospital beds correspond to 100.000 persons, the Health Workers are called upon to decide which patients to save and who to leave without the necessary medical care.

Today, in the face of the pandemic, and with a steady stream of aid to large companies, with billions being offered to them in various countries, all lost jobs must be restored and secured, without any conditions. All the changes in working relationships that employers have made with the cover of governments must be taken back.

The big trade union family of the WFTU, its trade unions members and friends on the 5 Continents, we are not passive observers – we continue our action to protect the lives and working rights of workers!

Under these difficult circumstances, we find the right ways to keep our workers informed and continue to play our role. We must continue our daily struggle to defend our rights without “discounts” and compromises.

Governments are announcing measures against the spread of the Coronavirus, putting forward the personal responsibility. However, it is revealed that gathering restriction measures and information campaigns for the implementation of personal hygiene measures cannot hide the inadequacy of public health systems to meet the requirements of hospitalization and health-care, due to the Coronavirus. Inadequacy that results from the deliberate undermining of all governments (both social- democratic and neo-conservative).

– The governments have the primary responsibility to provide public, free, high quality and modern Health services.

– The governments have the responsibility to stop the speculation of the capitalists.

– The governments have the responsibility to ban the dismissals and the cut of salaries and working rights.

In these difficult times, we are strengthening internationalism and solidarity among the workers of the world. We salute the initiative of Cuba to send 52 specialized doctors to Italy to help treat the pandemic.

No one must feel alone!

We are fighting to defend our health and our rights!

We are fighting for a system that prioritizes human beings and their needs and utilizes the scientific achievements to deal with a pandemic, or other catastrophic events in a timely and planned manner.

We once again congratulate the workers who continue in these difficult times to move the cogs of life, producing food, medicine, transportation, communication, services, even at the risk of their own lives.

LONG LIVE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY

THE SECRETARIAT

#World #International #CapitalismAndEconomy #Healthcare #PeoplesStruggles #InternationalSolidarity #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #WFTU #COVID19

The World Federation of Trade Unions, which represents more than 97 million workers from 130 countries in the 5 continents, stands firmly and militantly on the side of the Indian working class and expresses its internationalist solidarity with All India general strike on January 8th, 2020.

All-India general strike constitutes the escalation of workers’ and trade unions’ dynamic struggles against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and overall the anti-labour policy of Prime Minister Modi and the BJP. Massive mobilizations in a political environment of intimidation, bans and fierce repression, even in the BJP-ruled states, underlines the popular rejection of the anti-democratic and divisive act.

The international class-oriented trade union movement welcomes the pioneering role played by the WFTU affiliates and the massive response of tens of thousands of workers who participated in the protests, rallies, and demonstrations that were organized and took place all over the country during the past year. We condemn the government’s nationalist strategy of dividing and fragmenting the working class on an ethnic and religious basis which is not only reactionary, unacceptable and harps back to colonialist tactics but is also unconstitutional.

The WFTU strongly and emphatically condemns the communal polarization that the Modi government is trying to create in order to disorient the working class from austerity policies, aiming at the same time to the elimination of the class unity and future workers’ struggles. We denounce the outrageous violation of the workers’ protest right and the brutal repression against peaceful demonstrations that have so far caused hundreds of injuries and at least 3 assassinations of protesters by police bullets.

The WFTU calls upon the popular strata and workers from every region and sector of India to send a thunderous and decisive message of rejection of the CAA and of the whole neo-liberal policies which are against workers’ achievements and popular rights.

The Secretariat

#India #Labor #Asia #PeoplesStruggles #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #Strikes #allIndiaGeneralStrike

The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) condemns the coup against the elected President of Bolivia, Evo Morales.

We denounce, in the eyes of the world working class, the dirty role of the USA and the Organization of American States (OAS) as well as the reactionary forces of Bolivia that have organized the fascist coup.

That coup against the people of Bolivia confirms that imperialism acts ruthlessly. In Bolivia, almost the same methods are implemented again as in Chile, during the coup d’etat of the dictator Pinochet; when Salvador Allende stayed there and fought against the putschists, becoming a heroic symbol.

We express our internationalist solidarity to the working class, the indigenous, peasants and the people of Bolivia that resist against the coup and the puppets of the imperialists.

We say out loud that murders, kidnappings, arsons against those that defend the right of peoples to decide democratically and freely about their present and future must stop now.

We call on the affiliated unions and friends of the WFTU in Bolivia to continue on the front lines of the struggle, informing the people that the coup was perpetrated so that capitalists can plunder the wealth and destroy the civilization of Bolivia.

On behalf of the 97 million of our affiliates in 130 countries on the five continents, we add our voice to that of the Peoples who resist against the imperialists; we believe it is a good opportunity so that those who still have illusions and believe in class collaboration draw their conclusions, if they are able to do it.

The lesson we maintain is that the class struggle continues. It never stops.

George Mavrikos

#Bolivia #AntiwarMovement #Labor #OppressedNationalities #Americas #PeoplesStruggles #ChicanoLatino #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #Antiracism #Antifascism #WFTU #PinkTide

The World Federation of Trade Unions on behalf of its more than 95 million in 130 countries of the 5 continents expresses its internationalist solidarity and support to All India general strike on 8-9 January 2019. The WFTU affiliates are taking a leading role in the preparations of the strike which is called by the joint platform of the 10 central trade unions and dozens of independent federations.

The forthcoming “All India General Strike” will be the third and biggest countrywide strike against the neo-liberal policy of Modi’s governance which is aligned with the World Trade Organization norms and is variously affecting the working class of India worsening its living and working conditions.

During the last years, the Indian working class has been resisting, undertaking struggles at local, sectoral and national level. The two-day general strike is the continuing and escalation of the previous struggles against the policy which creates a country of unemployment and stagnancy of wages in combination with rising prices, relentless attacks against the worker’s rights and unparalleled privatization policy of public sector.

In front of this situation the Trade Unions are rising up, fighting for dignified minimum wages and pension to all, creation of new dignified jobs, curbing of rising prices of essential commodities, universal, social security coverage to all, stoppage of privatization policy, end to the infraction of the labor and trade unions rights, end to contractualisation.

The World Federation of Trade Unions joints its voice with the call of the class-oriented trade unions for militant and massive participation of all the workers of the country regardless their sector or region. The WFTU supports the fair demands of the declared strike, given that the class-oriented struggle for a dignified life and work is the only way out from the capitalist barbarity.

#India #International #Asia #PeoplesStruggles #WorkersAndGlobalization #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #Strikes #WFTU #AllIndiaStrike

The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) expresses its solidarity with the workers and people of France who are fighting against the policy of high prices and excessive taxation of the French government and at the same time are protesting against the anti-labor policies of the European Union and the IMF. The international class-oriented trade union movement joins its voice to that of the working youth in France, with the homeless, the unemployed, the new-poor, immigrants for a world without capitalist exploitation.

The police state and state violence highlight the role of the state and the goals of the bourgeoisie. President Macron’s maneuvers to weaken protests through false and hypocritical social dialogues should not trap the working class and the people. The class unions, the class-oriented vanguard can significantly help the people masses, leaving their own mark, giving the orientation, the content and the appropriate forms of struggle, isolating the neo-fascist and racist elements, in order to strengthen the struggle and the anti-capitalist claims.

Long live internationalist solidarity! The WFTU Secretariat

#France #Europe #PeoplesStruggles #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #WFTU

The United Nations Security Council on June 21st welcomed the deployment by the so-called Group of Five (G5) – Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger – of a joint force to tackle the threat of terrorism, as well as the serious challenges posed by transnational organized crime in Africa’s restive Sahel region. Also by that text, the Council urged the joint force of up to 5,000 military and police personnel, as well as the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali and French forces in that country to ensure adequate coordination and exchange of information regarding their operations, within their respective mandates.

The text of the Decision was proposed by France and USA, this development comes just 4 days after the G20-Africa Partnership Conference in Berlin where the imperialistic forces decided how to further strengthen their monopolies to steal the African riches. All those prove once more the interest of the imperialists in the region of Africa.

The WFTU strongly believes that only the people and the workers of Africa have the power to change their lives. No charity from the stolen wealth of the African workers can smoothen the barbarity of capitalism. No “Non-Governmental Organization” can heal this situation. The natural resources of Africa belong to the peoples and the workers of the region.

The Secretariat

#UnitedStates #PeoplesStruggles #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #WFTU

The World Federation of Trade Unions strongly condemns the death of more than 40 refugees, 20 of them children, crossing the desert of northern Niger to Libya and probably to Europe.

These innocent people are added to the thousands of refugees who die in the land or sea to avoid the consequences of the wars generated by the imperialists, they are not accidents, they are crimes. Immigrants and refugees are forced into this position by the imperialist policies of NATO, the United States and the European Union, through their aggressiveness and intervention in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Mali, Yemen, etc., by the policies of the Multinationals and the plundering of the natural resources of the people in Africa and the Middle East, by the destruction and manipulation of the economies of the countries and finally by the inhuman policy of the European Union and Governments against migrant workers.

The World Federation of Trade Unions with its anti-imperialist and internationalist position and action struggles for the elimination of the aggressiveness against the people of North Africa and the Middle East, for the dissolution of NATO and for the utilization of the natural resources by the people for their own interests and for the popular development that will bring the reconstruction and the prosperity of the people.

The Secretariat

#UnitedStates #AntiwarMovement #ImmigrantRights #PeoplesStruggles #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #Antifascism #WFTU

The World Federation of Trade Unions, representing 92 million workers in the 5 continents, expresses its indignation for the vulgar, unethical campaign of “Pizza Hut” against the Palestinian Hunger Strikers.

The new advertising slogan of the Pizza Hut is “Barghouti, if you break the hunger strike, why not pizza?” addressing to the Marwan Barghouti who started hunger strike with others 1600 prisoners more that 3 weeks ago. The strikers demand the respect for the humans’ rights of the prisoners and the whole Palestinian people.

The inhuman advertising campaign is indicative of the morals of the bourgeoisie and the predatory nature of monopolies that violate every human value and right to maximize their profits. The mocking of the strikers for advertising reasons is absolutely unacceptable. This is not an isolate incident. During the 3 weeks of the strike a lot of immoral incidents took place, such as roasting meat outside the prison by far right groups.

The apology of the company spokesman is just a hypocritical statement which only shows that the marketing department of the company considers the campaign as failed and with negative impact on their profit goals.

The World Federation of Trade Unions and the international class oriented trade union movement stand on the side of the heroic Palestinian people and prisoners, express their solidarity and support to their fair struggle.

The Secretariat

#Palestine #HungerStrike #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #WFTU

200 workers from “Hallmark” garment factory were striking during last week, demanding their unpaid wages. Their wages should have been paid on 5th January, the official factory pay day. During the last days the workers agreed to accept a written promise that wages would be paid no later than January 12. Until yesterday the employers instead of paying the wages, they announced that they will cut the wages for the days of the strike.

The situation in the Myanmar garment factories reflects the common strategy of the owners of the factories and the government of Myanmar of reducing the production cost in order to attract foreign capitals to the garment sector.

The World Federation of Trade Unions, representing 92 million workers in the 5 continents, stands on the side of the workers of the Hallmark factory. The WFTU joins its voice with the voice of the workers demanding the immediate payment of the full wages and the termination of such employers’ inacceptable practices.

The Secretariat

#UnitedStates #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #WFTU